a |
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. | |
There was a man here looking for you yesterday. | |
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word. | |
I've seen it happen a hundred times. | |
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003) | |
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. | |
4. art. The same; one. | |
We are of a mind on matters of morals. | |
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007) | |
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. | |
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? | |
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc. | |
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. | |
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. | |
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. | |
Stand a tiptoe. | |
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into. | |
Torn a pieces. | |
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. | |
I brush my teeth twice a day. | |
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. | |
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. | |
A God’s name. | |
13. prep. To do with status; In. | |
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18) | |
To set the people a worke. | |
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. | |
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ | |
The times, they are a-changin'. | |
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. | |
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21 | |
Jacob, when he was a dying | |
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. | |
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have. | |
I'd a come, if you'd a asked. | |
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He. | |
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah. | |
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of. | |
The name of John a Gaunt. | |
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
new |
1. adj. Recently made, or created. | |
This is a new scratch on my car! The band just released a new album. | |
2. adj. Additional; recently discovered. | |
We turned up some new evidence from the old files. | |
3. adj. Current or later, as opposed to former. | |
My new car is much better than my previous one, even though it is older. We had been in our new house for five years by then. | |
4. adj. Used to distinguish something established more recently, named after something or some place previously existing. | |
New Bond Street is an extension of Bond Street. | |
5. adj. In original condition; pristine; not previously worn or used. | |
Are you going to buy a new car or a second-hand one? | |
6. adj. Refreshed, reinvigorated, reformed. | |
That shirt is dirty. Go and put on a new one. I feel like a new person after a good night's sleep. After the accident, I saw the world with new eyes. | |
7. adj. Newborn. | |
My sister has a new baby, and our mother is excited to finally have a grandchild. | |
8. adj. Of recent origin; having taken place recently. | |
I can't see you for a while; the pain is still too new. Did you see the new King Lear at the theatre? | |
9. adj. Strange, unfamiliar or not previously known. | |
The idea was new to me. I need to meet new people. | |
10. adj. Recently arrived or appeared. | |
Have you met the new guy in town? He is the new kid at school. | |
11. adj. Inexperienced or unaccustomed at some task. | |
Don't worry that you're new at this job; you'll get better with time. I'm new at this business. | |
12. adj. (of a period of time) Next; about to begin or recently begun. | |
We expect to grow at 10% annually in the new decade. | |
13. adj. (vegetables) The first of the season. | |
14. adv. Newly (especially in composition). | |
new-born, new-formed, new-found, new-mown | |
15. adv. As new; from scratch. | |
They are scraping the site clean to build new. | |
16. n. Things that are new. | |
Out with the old, in with the new. | |
17. n. (Australia) A kind of light beer. | |
18. n. See also news. | |
19. v. (obsolete) To make new; to recreate; to renew. | |
pencil |
1. n. A writing utensil with a graphite (commonly referred to as lead) shaft, usually blended with clay, clad in wood, and sharpened to a taper. | |
2. n. (obsolete) A paintbrush. | |
3. n. (geometry) A family of geometric objects with a common property, such as the set of lines that pass through a given point in a projective plane. | |
4. n. (optics) An aggregate or collection of rays of light, especially when diverging from, or converging to, a point. | |
5. n. (medicine, archaic) A small medicated bougie. | |
6. v. To write (something) using a pencil. | |
I penciled (BrE: pencilled) a brief reminder in my notebook. | |
7. v. To mark with, or as if with, a pencil. | |
Is |
1. n. plural of I | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of be | |
He is a doctor. He retired some time ago. | |
Should he do the task, it is vital that you follow him. | |
3. n. plural of i | |
remember to dot your is | |
be |
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence. | |
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist. | |
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place. | |
The cup is on the table. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place. | |
When will the meeting be? | |
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar. | |
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come. | |
I have been to Spain many times. | |
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating. | |
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same. | |
Knowledge is bliss. | |
Hi, I’m Jim. | |
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same. | |
3 times 5 is fifteen. | |
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal. | |
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995. | |
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it. | |
The sky is blue. | |
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase. | |
The sky is a deep blue today. | |
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice. | |
The dog was drowned by the boy. | |
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses. | |
The woman is walking. | |
I shall be writing to you soon. | |
We liked to chat while we were eating. | |
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go". | |
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic. | |
I am to leave tomorrow. | |
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car. | |
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement. | |
This building is three hundred years old. | |
I am 75 kilograms. | |
He’s about 6 feet tall. | |
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years. | |
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.) | |
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day. | |
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.) | |
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo. | |
What time is it there? It’s night. | |
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event. | |
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period) | |
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him. | |
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like. | |
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid. | |
Why is it so dark in here? | |
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way. | |
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.". | |
Why is he being nice to me? | |
sitting |
1. n. A period during which one is seated for a specific purpose. | |
Due to the sheer volume of guests, we had to have two sittings for the meal. | |
The Queen had three sittings for her portrait. | |
2. n. A legislative session. | |
3. n. The act (of a bird) of incubating eggs. | |
4. n. A clutch of eggs laid by a brooding bird. | |
we have thirty-four chicks from eight sittings of eggs | |
5. v. present participle of sit | |
6. adj. Executed from a sitting position. | |
7. adj. Occupying a specific official or legal position; incumbent. | |
sit |
1. v. (intransitive, of a person) To be in a position in which the upper body is upright and supported by the buttocks. | |
After a long day of walking, it was good just to sit and relax. | |
2. v. (intransitive, of a person) To move oneself into such a position. | |
I asked him to sit. | |
3. v. (intransitive, of an object) To occupy a given position permanently. | |
The temple has sat atop that hill for centuries. | |
4. v. To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition. | |
5. v. (government) To be a member of a deliberative body. | |
I currently sit on a standards committee. | |
6. v. (legal, government) Of a legislative or, especially, a judicial body such as a court, to be in session. | |
In what city is the circuit court sitting for this session. | |
7. v. To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh. | |
8. v. To be adjusted; to fit. | |
Your new coat sits well. | |
9. v. (intransitive, of an agreement or arrangement) To be accepted or acceptable; to work. | |
How will this new contract sit with the workers? | |
I don’t think it will sit well. | |
The violence in these video games sits awkwardly with their stated aim of educating children. | |
10. v. (transitive, causative) To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to. | |
Sit him in front of the TV and he might watch for hours. | |
11. v. To accommodate in seats; to seat. | |
The dining room table sits eight comfortably. | |
12. v. (intransitive) shortened form of babysit. | |
I'm going to sit for them on Thursday. | |
13. v. (transitive, US) To babysit | |
I need to find someone to sit my kids on Friday evening for four hours. | |
14. v. (transitive, Australia, New Zealand, UK) To take, to undergo or complete (an examination or test). | |
15. v. To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate. | |
16. v. To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of oneself made, such as a picture or a bust. | |
I'm sitting for a painter this evening. | |
17. v. To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction. | |
18. n. (rare, Buddhism) An event, usually lasting one full day or more, where the primary goal is to sit in meditation. | |
on |
1. adj. In the state of being active, functioning or operating. | |
2. adj. Performing according to schedule. | |
Are we still on for tonight? | |
Is the show still on? | |
3. adj. (chiefly UK, informal, usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate. | |
You can't do that; it's just not on. | |
4. adj. (informal) Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed. | |
"Five bucks says the Cavs win tonight." ―"You're on!". | |
Mike just threw coffee onto Paul's lap. It's on now. | |
5. adj. (baseball, informal) Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter. | |
6. adj. (euphemistic) Menstruating. | |
7. adv. To an operating state. | |
turn the television on | |
8. adv. Along, forwards (continuing an action). | |
drive on, rock on | |
9. adv. In continuation, at length. | |
and so on. | |
He rambled on and on. | |
10. adv. (not US) Later. | |
Ten years on, nothing had changed in the village. | |
11. prep. Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above. | |
on the table; on the couch | |
The parrot was sitting on Jim's shoulder. | |
12. prep. At or near; adjacent to. | |
Soon we'll pass a statue on the left. | |
The fleet is on the American coast. | |
Croton-on-Hudson, Rostov-on-Don, Southend-on-Sea | |
13. prep. Covering. | |
He wore old shoes on his feet. | |
14. prep. At the date of. | |
Born on the 4th of July. | |
15. prep. Some time during the day of. | |
I'll see you on Monday. The bus leaves on Friday. Can I see you on a different day? On Sunday I'm busy. | |
16. prep. Dealing with the subject of, about, or concerning something. | |
A book on history. The World Summit on the Information Society. | |
17. prep. Touching; hanging from. | |
The fruit ripened on the trees. The painting hangs on the wall. | |
18. prep. (informal) In the possession of. | |
I haven't got any money on me. | |
19. prep. Because of, or due to. | |
To arrest someone on suspicion of bribery. To contact someone on a hunch. | |
20. prep. Upon; at the time of (and often because of). | |
On Jack's entry, William got up to leave. | |
On the addition of ammonia, a chemical reaction begins. | |
21. prep. Paid for by. | |
The drinks are on me tonight, boys. The meal is on the house. I paid for the airfare and meals for my family, but the hotel room was on the company. | |
22. prep. Used to indicate a means or medium. | |
I saw it on television. Can't you see I'm on the phone? | |
23. prep. Indicating a means of subsistence. | |
They lived on ten dollars a week. The dog survived three weeks on rainwater. | |
24. prep. Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity). | |
He's on his lunch break. on vacation; on holiday | |
25. prep. Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with. | |
to play on a violin or piano | |
Her words made a lasting impression on my mind. | |
26. prep. Regularly taking (a drug). | |
You've been on these antidepressants far too long. He's acting so strangely, I think he must be on something. | |
27. prep. Under the influence of (a drug). | |
He's acting crazy because he's on crack right now. | |
28. prep. (mathematics) Having identical domain and codomain. | |
a function on | |
29. prep. (mathematics) HavingV^n as domain and V as codomain, for some set V and integer n. | |
an operator on | |
30. prep. (mathematics) Generated by. | |
the free group on four letters | |
31. prep. Supported by (the specified part of itself). | |
A table can't stand on two legs. After resting on his elbows, he stood on his toes, then walked on his heels. | |
32. prep. At a given time after the start of something; at. | |
33. prep. In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series. | |
heaps on heaps of food | |
mischief on mischief; loss on loss | |
34. prep. (obsolete, regional) of | |
35. prep. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in. | |
I depended on them for assistance. | |
He will promise on certain conditions. | |
Do you ever bet on horses? | |
36. prep. Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion. | |
Have pity or compassion on him. | |
37. prep. (obsolete) At the peril of, or for the safety of. | |
38. prep. In the service of; connected with; of the number of. | |
He is on a newspaper; I am on the committee. | |
39. prep. By virtue of; with the pledge of. | |
He affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honour. | |
40. prep. To the account or detriment of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon. | |
On us be all the blame. | |
A curse on him! | |
Please don't tell on her and get her in trouble. | |
He turned on her and has been her enemy ever since. | |
He went all honest on me, making me listen to his confession. | |
41. v. (transitive, Singapore, Philippines) to switch on | |
Can you on the light? | |
42. prep. (UK dialectal, Scotland) Without. | |
43. n. In the Japanese language, a pronunciation, or reading, of a kanji character that was originally based on the character's pronunciation in Chinese, contrasted with kun. | |
Most kanji have two kinds of reading, called "on" and "kun". | |
top |
1. n. The highest or uppermost part of something. | |
His kite got caught at the top of the tree. | |
2. n. (irrespective of present orientation) the part of something that is usually the top. | |
We flipped the machine onto its top. | |
3. n. The uppermost part of a page, picture, viewing screen, etc. | |
Further weather information can be found at the top of your television screen. Headings appear at the tops of pages. | |
4. n. A lid, cap or cover of a container. | |
Put a top on the toothpaste tube or it will go bad. | |
5. n. A garment worn to cover the torso. | |
I bought this top as it matches my jeans. | |
6. n. (nautical) A framework at the top of a ship's mast to which rigging is attached. | |
7. n. (baseball) The first half of an inning, during which the home team fields and the visiting team bats. | |
8. n. (archaic) The crown of the head, or the hair upon it; the head. | |
9. n. A child’s spinning toy; a spinning top. | |
The boy was amazed at how long the top would spin. | |
10. n. Someone who is eminent.: | |
11. n. (archaic) The chief person; the most prominent one. | |
12. n. The highest rank; the most honourable position; the utmost attainable place. | |
to be at the top of one's class, or at the top of the school | |
13. n. (BDSM) A dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay. | |
14. n. (LGBT, slang) A man penetrating or with a preference for penetrating during homosexual intercourse. | |
I prefer being a top, and my boyfriend prefers being a bottom. | |
15. n. (physics) A top quark. | |
16. n. The utmost degree; the acme; the summit. | |
17. n. (ropemaking) A plug, or conical block of wood, with longitudinal grooves on its surface, in which the strands of the rope slide in the process of twisting. | |
18. n. (sound) Highest pitch or loudest volume. | |
She sang at the top of her voice. | |
19. n. (wool manufacture) A bundle or ball of slivers of combed wool, from which the noils, or dust, have been taken out. | |
20. n. (obsolete, except in one sense of phrase on top of) Eve; verge; point. | |
21. n. The part of a cut gem between the girdle, or circumference, and the table, or flat upper surface. | |
22. n. (in the slang) Topboots. | |
23. n. (golf) A stroke on the top of the ball. | |
24. n. (golf) A forward spin given to the ball by hitting it on or near the top. | |
25. n. (in restaurants, preceded by a number) (A table at which there is, or which has enough seats for) a group of a specified number of people eating at a restaurant. | |
26. v. To cover on the top or with a top. | |
I like my ice cream topped with chocolate sauce. | |
27. v. To cut or remove the top (as of a tree) | |
I don't want to be bald, so just top my hair. | |
Top and tail the carrots. | |
28. v. To excel, to surpass, to beat. | |
Titanic was the most successful film ever until it was topped by another Cameron film, Avatar. | |
29. v. To be in the lead, to be at number one position (of). | |
Celine Dion topped the UK music charts twice in the 1990s. | |
30. v. (UK, slang) To commit suicide, (rare) to murder. | |
Depression causes many people to top themselves. | |
31. v. (BDSM) To be the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship or roleplay. | |
I used to be a slave, but I ended up topping. | |
Giving advice to the dominant partner on how to run the BDSM session is called "topping from the bottom". | |
32. v. (slang) To be the partner who penetrates in anal sex. | |
33. v. (slang) To anally penetrate. | |
34. v. (archaic) To rise aloft; to be eminent; to tower. | |
lofty ridges and topping mountains | |
35. v. (archaic) To predominate. | |
topping passions | |
36. v. (archaic) To excel; to rise above others. | |
37. v. (nautical) To raise one end of (a yard, etc.), making it higher than the other. | |
38. v. (dyeing) To cover with another dye. | |
to top aniline black with methyl violet to prevent greening | |
39. v. To put a stiffening piece or back on (a saw blade). | |
40. v. (slang) To arrange (fruit, etc.) with the best on top. | |
41. v. (of a horse) To strike the top of (an obstacle) with the hind feet while jumping, so as to gain new impetus. | |
42. v. To improve (domestic animals, especially sheep) by crossing certain individuals or breeds with other superior breeds. | |
43. v. To cut, break, or otherwise take off the top of (a steel ingot) to remove unsound metal. | |
44. v. (golf) To strike (the ball) above the centre; also, to make (a stroke, etc.) by hitting the ball in this way. | |
45. adj. Situated on the top of something. | |
46. adj. (informal) Best; of the highest quality or rank. | |
She's in the top dance school. | |
47. adj. (informal) Very good, of high quality. | |
He's a top lawyer. | |
That is a top car. | |
48. adv. Rated first. | |
She came top in her French exam. | |
of |
1. prep. Expressing distance or motion. | |
2. prep. (now obsolete, or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off". | |
3. prep. (obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.). | |
4. prep. From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.). | |
There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage. | |
5. prep. (North America, Scotland, Ireland) Before (the hour); to. | |
What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three. | |
6. prep. Expressing separation. | |
7. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.) | |
Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband. | |
8. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.) | |
He seemed devoid of human feelings. | |
9. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.) | |
10. prep. Expressing origin. | |
11. prep. (Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.) | |
The word is believed to be of Japanese origin. | |
12. prep. (Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation); from, out of, as an expression of. | |
The invention was born of necessity. | |
13. prep. (following an intransitive verb) (Indicates the source or cause of the verb.) | |
It is said that she died of a broken heart. | |
14. prep. (following an adjective) (Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.) | |
I am tired of all this nonsense. | |
15. prep. Expressing agency. | |
16. prep. (following a passive verb) (Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).) | |
I am not particularly enamoured of this idea. | |
17. prep. (Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase) (see also 'Possession' senses below). | |
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties. | |
18. prep. (following an adjective) (Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.) | |
It was very brave of you to speak out like that. | |
19. prep. Expressing composition, substance. | |
20. prep. (after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) (Used to indicate the material or substance used.) | |
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic. | |
21. prep. (directly following a noun) (Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.) | |
She wore a dress of silk. | |
22. prep. (Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.) | |
What a lot of nonsense! | |
23. prep. (Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.) | |
Welcome to the historic town of Harwich. | |
24. prep. (Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second); "which is also". | |
I'm not driving this wreck of a car. | |
25. prep. Introducing subject matter. | |
26. prep. (Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-ma | |
I'm always thinking of you. | |
27. prep. (following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) (Introduces its subject matter); about, concerning. | |
He told us the story of his journey to India. | |
28. prep. (following an adjective) (Introduces its subject matter.) | |
This behaviour is typical of teenagers. | |
29. prep. Having partitive effect. | |
30. prep. (following a number or other quantitive word) (Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment); "from among". | |
Most of these apples are rotten. | |
31. prep. (following a noun) (Indicates a given part.) | |
32. prep. (now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of. | |
On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort. | |
33. prep. (Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).) | |
He is a friend of mine. | |
34. prep. Expressing possession. | |
35. prep. Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above. | |
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century. | |
36. prep. Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it. | |
The owner of the nightclub was arrested. | |
37. prep. Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; (the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this inter | |
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames. | |
38. prep. Forming the "objective genitive". | |
39. prep. (Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.) | |
She had a profound distrust of the police. | |
40. prep. Expressing qualities or characteristics. | |
41. prep. (now archaic, or literary) (Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier); in respect to, as regards. | |
My companion seemed affable and easy of manner. | |
42. prep. (Indicates a quality or characteristic); "characterized by". | |
Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain. | |
43. prep. (Indicates quantity, age, price, etc.) | |
We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%. | |
44. prep. (US, informal considered incorrect by some) (Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives mod | |
It's not that big of a deal. | |
45. prep. Expressing a point in time. | |
46. prep. (chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity. | |
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river. | |
47. prep. (UK dialectal, chiefly in negative constructions) For (a given length of time). | |
I've not tekken her out of a goodly long while. | |
48. prep. (after a noun) (Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.) | |
After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off. | |
the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
wire |
1. n. Metal formed into a thin, even thread, now usually by being drawn through a hole in a steel die. | |
2. n. A piece of such material; a thread or slender rod of metal, a cable. | |
3. n. A metal conductor that carries electricity. | |
4. n. A fence made of usually barbed wire. | |
5. n. (sports) A finish line of a racetrack. | |
6. n. (informal) A telecommunication wire or cable | |
7. n. (by extension) An electric telegraph; a telegram. | |
8. n. (slang) A hidden listening device on the person of an undercover operative for the purposes of obtaining incriminating spoken evidence. | |
9. n. (informal) A deadline or critical endpoint. | |
This election is going to go right to the wire | |
10. n. (billiards) A wire strung with beads and hung horizontally above or near the table which is used to keep score. | |
11. n. (usually plural) Any of the system of wires used to operate the puppets in a puppet show; hence, the network of hidden influences controlling the action of a person or organization; strings. | |
to pull the wires for office | |
12. n. (archaic, thieves' slang) A pickpocket who targets women. | |
13. n. (Scotland) A knitting needle. | |
14. v. To fasten with wire, especially with reference to wine bottles, corks, or fencing. | |
We need to wire that hole in the fence. | |
15. v. To string on a wire. | |
wire beads | |
16. v. To equip with wires for use with electricity. | |
17. v. To add something into an electrical system by means of wiring; to incorporate or include something. | |
I'll just wire your camera to the computer screen. | |
18. v. (informal) To send a message or a money value to another person through a telecommunications system, formerly predominantly by telegraph. | |
Urgent: please wire me another 100 pounds sterling. | |
19. v. To make someone tense or psyched up. | |
I'm never going to sleep: I'm completely wired from all that coffee. | |
20. v. (slang) To install eavesdropping equipment. | |
We wired the suspect's house. | |
21. v. To snare by means of a wire or wires. | |
22. v. (transitive, croquet) To place (a ball) so that the wire of a wicket prevents a successful shot. | |
mesh |
1. n. A structure made of connected strands of metal, fiber, or other flexible/ductile material, with evenly spaced openings between them. | |
2. n. The opening or space enclosed by the threads of a net between knot and knot, or the threads enclosing such a space. | |
3. n. The engagement of the teeth of wheels, or of a wheel and rack. | |
4. n. A measure of fineness (particle size) of ground material. A powder that passes through a sieve having 300 openings per linear inch but does not pass 400 openings per linear inch is said to be -300 +40 | |
5. n. (computer graphics) A polygon mesh. | |
6. v. To connect together by interlocking, as gears do. | |
7. v. (intransitive, figurative, by extension) To fit in; to come together harmoniously. | |
The music meshed well with the visuals in that film. | |
8. v. To catch in a mesh. | |